Electric motors play an integral part in numerous industrial applications. They are essential to the operation of a range of devices from common home appliances and air conditioning systems to large manufacturing machines. The setting in which an electric motor is used defines its particular specifications. It can be appreciated that, power output requirements vary from application to application and thus, motors are built in a variety of sizes. An electric motor includes electric components and magnetic components that cooperatively interact to provide the desired operation for the motor. Coils typically formed by an electrical conductor, such as copper wire, are integral electrical structures of the motor. They are tightly wound around poles of the magnetic components of the motor and when energized create a proper magnetic flux to influence the proper operation of the motor. Since motors come in a variety of sizes, according to desired driving force, it follows that coil windings are produced in a wide variety of dimensions, each particular winding sized according to the requirements of the particular motor into which it is placed. Presently, many windings are formed on an assembly designed only to wind a coil of that specific unique size. More particularly, many coil winding form assemblies are non-adjustable and accordingly are only used to form one size winding. This necessarily requires the motor manufacturer to stock a plurality of different sized coil winding form apparatus in order to provide different sizes of coil windings.
It can also be appreciated that a manufacturing facility may utilize many different size motors to perform different functions. Many of these facilities have an in-house staff to maintain and repair motors as necessary. It is sometimes necessary during the repair operation to replace damaged or faulty windings in each of a number of different size motors. It is obviously cumbersome and inconvenient to require the stocking of one coil winding form assembly for each different size motor that may be used in the manufacturing facility. Making a new coil winding form apparatus from construction materials each time one is required is also a labor intensive and consequently expensive proposition to be avoided if possible.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved coil winding form apparatus that is adjustable so that a single apparatus may be conveniently utilized to accurately form different size windings. The improved apparatus would advantageously provide an efficient means for measuring the size coil to be wound. The apparatus would easily cooperate with a standard winding machine. The apparatus would easily adjust to the proper size winding required and provide sufficient strength and support during the forming of the winding. The improved apparatus would also reduce costs for motor manufacturers and repair facilities by obviating the need for multiple assemblies.